How to Make Your Foundation Look Like Your Skin — But Better!

With so many magical formulas on the market that talk a big game — like a 16-hour matte finish, or an all-day dewy glow — at the end of the day, we just want our foundation to look and feel like our own skin, but better.

And a natural finish is dependent on whether or not you’re wearing the right foundation for your skin tone, the right formula for your skin type, if you’re applying it correctly and so on and so forth. It’s not as simple as picking one out that looks like it could work and just finger-painting it on haphazardly. To ensure that your foundation looks like, well, like you’re not actually wearing any, we’ve enlisted the help of makeup pro Allison O’Connor to enlighten us with some of her coverage tips!

How should you be applying makeup, you ask? “Not with your fingers,” answers O’Connor. She suggests applying foundation with a synthetic foundation brush. Try the Giorgio Armani Designer Foundation Expert Shaping Brush for flawless application.

#3. Blend!

Make sure to use a good blending tool for buffing out that makeup. O’Connor recommends the Giorgio Armani Blender Brush. “Blend (your foundation) out, and when you think you’ve finished, blend some more! Then apply your cream concealer, contour product and highlighter right over your foundation and blend them out too,” says O’Connor. She also recommends using a makeup sponge, as it will make your skin appear airbrushed. “Dampen it and then dab it over your foundation to work makeup in and soften the contrast between shades,” she says.

#4. Set It

The final step is to set your makeup to ensure long-lasting wear! “Dust on a light setting powder when your makeup application is finished or use a setting spray like Urban Decay All Nighter to make sure your makeup doesn’t budge,” she says.